A razor sharp wit, impeccable timing, and side-eye that could knock you on your butt. That is the Bea Arthur we know from Golden Girls and Maude. Beyond those iconic roles was an entire stage career and other projects. And beyond all of that, was Bea.
She was notoriously press-adverse, generally only doing the required promotional junkets before a show’s new season. But one person helped draw her out of her shell: Daniel Watt. He was her personal assistant and friend in the 2000s and they formed a bond. Eventually she agreed to let him interview her.
“She said, ‘Oh, you think you can interview me? Let’s do it next Saturday.’ So I interviewed her.”
Now he’s turned that interview into a documentary, “Bea Arthur: I’ve Done Everything Except Porn.” Watt chose Wilton Manors for one of only nine screenings before putting the project on the film festival circuit next year. It will play at Gray Box Theater on Oct. 21.
The documentary is more than a chat with a friend who happens to be famous. Watt tracked down former collaborators ranging from Chita Rivera to Rosie O’Donnell.
“Everything she talked about [in the interview], I found someone who worked with her on that project,” Watt said. “The film is based on this never-before-seen-interview. I paired that up with colleagues and friends that worked with her throughout her remarkable career.”
Watt says what you saw on screen and stage mirrored a lot of Bea in real life.
“She was extremely funny. She had a wicked sense of humor. She knew when to sit back and let people talk. Then, bam! She hits you with this funny one-liner.”
Maude, the character, was introduced on “All In the Family,” but the role almost never happened.
“She wasn’t sure she wanted to do the episode. [Show creator/producer] Norman Lear called her and said he wanted to write the part for her. She was hesitant, worried she wouldn’t like the role. In 1954 he saw her on Broadway and said, ‘One day I’m going to write a part for you. In 1972 or ‘73 he called her up and she asked what took you so long?’”
Watt chose Wilton Manors for a screening because he wanted to give something to her fans, specifically the LGBTQ fans. He says she was well aware of her fanbase.
“She knew it from the beginning. Most of the friends and dinner parties I went to at her house, 99% of them were gay. She felt safe in that community and they just seemed to protect her and took care of her and held people at bay if need be.”
Watt will do a Q&A with the audience after the screening.
Beatrice Arthur at the 1987 Emmy Awards. Credit: Alan Light, Wikimedia Commons.
